Wheel rim



'Oct 31,r 1939., N, B, STQNE 2,178,502

WHEEL RIM Filed June 2l, 1938 Syvum/vio@ M5. Se

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Patented er.31, 1939 1 2,178,502

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WHEEL RIM Nathaniel B. Stone, Washington, D. C.

Application June 2-1, 193s, `serial No. 214,997

4 claims. (o1. 152-407) 'Ihis invention relates to automobile wheel the seat. In this instance, one end portion of rims and, among other objects, aims to provide the ring carries a locking member in the form of a greatly Simplified and safe, dependable selfa u-shaped bar I8 having a hook I9 at one end locking expansible ring flange adapted to hold a and a head 20 at the other end seated in a countire in place on the rim and having provision to tersunk opening in one end portion of the ring. 5 prevent it from unlocking due to a flat tire 01 The head 2D has a attened inner face and is other causes. Another object of the invention is held in place by a leaf sp-ring 2| secured by a to provide a spring flangev of this type having rivet 22 or other suitable means to the inner face graduated spring resistance to Aenable it to be of the ring below the head. The spring is shown opened or expanded very easily and cause it to as being curved to conform to the contour of remain substantially circular. The idea is t0 the inside face of the ring, being bent over the provide a quick detachable ring flange which outer flange edge. vThe arrangement is such that can be applied to an ordinary rim without any it tends to hold the locking member in its normal lateral distortion and which can be manufaclocking position and has to be distorted or bent l5 tured at a relatively low cost. inwardly when the locking member is swung 5 Other aims and advantages of the invention outwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, to disengage it will appear in the specication, when considered from a complemental opening 23 in the other end in connection with the accompanying drawing, portion of the ring. Incidentally, the opening wherein: 23 is enlarged or flared inwardly to present a Fig. 11s a. side elevation of a wheel rim having 11p at its looking edge and the hooked end le 1s 2 a locking flange embodying the invention; bent toward the gap in the ring flange so that Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the wheel rim; it cannot be accidentally disengaged. When the Fg- 3 iS all enlarged sectional View taken on two ring ends are pulled together by an ordinary the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; tool, which may be engaged in notches or open- 25 Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the locking ings 24 at the upper edges of the two end pormember disengaged; tions of the ring, the hook will snap into place Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5 5 and hold the ring locked in place. When a tire 0f Fig, 1; is thus locked on the rim, the bead will serve to Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the ring flange exert pressure on the leaf spring and insure rm alone; and locking engagement of the hook with the oppoa0 Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken on the line 'I--l site ring end, even though the tire may blow out of Fig. 6. and it can never become disengaged unless the Referring particularly'. to the drawing, the ring ends are again pulled together and a prywheel rimthere shown is of the flat center type. ing tool of any type is used to lift the hook end It has a main rim section IIl presenting an inside I9 out of its locking opening 23. For this pur- 35 integral flange II to engage the inside wall of a pose, the hook end may have a small projectire I2 which is slipped on the open outside oi the tion 25 to be engaged by the bit of a screw driver rim. At the outer edge of the rim there is sho-wn or the blade of a pocket knife when the two ends a shallow substantially annular Seal? I3 having a are squeezed together. Incidentally, the leaf 4:0 conical bottom and presenting a locking rib I4, spring is shown as overlapping the ygap between 40 the J130D edge 0f Which iS Substantially flu-Sh With the two ends and the ring flange I5 to prevent the outer surface of the at rim portion I0 s0 injury of the tire at the gap. Also, the curled that both beads of the tire I2 mayA easily be over edge of it serves to guide the two ring ends Sllpped QVel the T1111 straight together when they are contracted to 45 In th1s instance, a self-locking ring 1n the the locking position form of a split flange I5 preferably shaped likey the integral flange II has an annular tongue I6 to engage the annular groove I3 and be locked therein against the inside edge of the rib flange l L It is made of Spring Steel or other metal and inner edge 1s shown as havmg a series of saw cuts 50 presents la, narrow gap n between its ends to, or kerfs 26 of progressively decreasing depth permit it to be slightly contracted when it is from the split ends toward the diametrically opto be unlocked from the main rim section. It posit@ Forum 0f the ling- These graduated is adapted to be expanded and slipped over the kelfs impart t0 the ring a gradually increasing rib I4 and contracts automatically to engage resistance t0 eXpanSiOn from the Split ends to- 55 To enable the ring to expand evenly in substantially circular form and be removed very quickly from its groove in the rim section, the

ward the opposite side so that the ring will be fully disengaged from the rim by only slightly expanding the split ends. Moreover, it requires much less force or power to expand a relatively heavy ring.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the improved self-locking rim is very simple in its construction, easy to manufacture and absolutely safe in operation. The ring positively engages the rim section and the action of the tire bead on the ring serves to keep it locked and supplements the action of the spring in holding the locking member in place. It is easy to apply and remove with ordinary tools.

Obviously, the present invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly, since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations and sub-combinations.

-What is claimed is:

1. In a tire rim of the class described, a split expansible ring flange having an annular tongue to engage the rim; a locking hook member movably mounted in one end of said ring flange; a hook receiving opening in combination with the other end of the ring flange; and a flat leaf spring secured to the inner face of the ring ilange adjacent to the connections of the hook member and acting on the hook member to bias it to locking position both by the spring action and by tire pressure.

2. In combination with a tire rim of the class described, a split expansible ring flange having an annular tongue interlocking with said rim; a locking hook member movably mounted in one end of said ring flange; a hook receiving opening in the other end of the ring flange; and spring means on the inside of the ring flange connected to bias the locking member to its locking position and also arranged to utilize the tire pressure to hold the hook member in locking engagement.

3. In an automobile Wheel rim of lthe class described, a main rim portion having an annular seat at its outer tire receiving end; and a split tire retaining ring ilange adapted to be locked in said seat and having graduated spring resistance gradually increasing in strength from the split ends whereby a heavy ring may be expanded by applying a relatively small force and will remain in substantially true circular form when expanded to be disengaged from the main rim portion. i

4. In combination with an automobile wheel rim of the classdescribed, a split tire retaining ring flangeadapted to be locked on the rim and having a series of spaced transverse kerfs in the inner edge of the ring beginning at the split ends to graduate'the spring resistance so that the ring flange may be expanded with the minimum effort and will remain in substantially true circular form.

NATHANIEL B. STONE. 

